


i like my coffee black like my soul

by huskiice



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Banter, Barista Eren Yeager, Barista Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Coffee Shop Employee Eren Yeager, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Eventual Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Light Angst, M/M, Moving On, Past Levi/Erwin Smith, Post-Break Up, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-17 00:01:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19328776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huskiice/pseuds/huskiice
Summary: In which Eren is a barista at Titanic Beans and within him is a burning hatred for Starbucks, and Levi, who coincidentally works at said coffee chain, just wants his black coffee to get through the day."What green, two-tailed bitch, Eren?"Oh, boy, did Mikasa regret even speaking."THAT ONE!" Eren screeched, his finger pointed accusingly towards the 'green, two-tailed bitch' in question. "She's probably looking down on us, Mikasa! That cocky coffee-slut is probably somewhere cackling us as she steals all our customers! That stupid piece of—""You do know the Starbucks logo doesn't actually exist, don't you?""Are you shitting me? Of course I—" Eren's voice trailed off, because Mikasa's lips certainly haven't moved and that voice was simply too low and husky—and sexy, he thought at the back of his mind—to be her's.Eren quickly whipped back towards the front door, and there stood a man with a small, barely noticeable smirk."W—" Eren quickly schooled his face into the brightest, cheeriest expression he could manage despite the deep, raging hatred he felt for that 'dumbass Starbucks bitch'."Welcome to Titanic Beans!"





	1. wall maria who? we don't know her.

**Author's Note:**

> forgiveme for this wreck of a story. school is about to start in a week and your girl is in denial, panic, pain and worry. the result? this!

Titanic Beans was a small, or cosy—as Eren would insist—coffeeshop, with a brick wall interior and wooden furnishing, as well as ample seating for customers. The coffee was decent there too, and the staff would usually leave the front door open to allow the strong, mouth-watering scent of freshly-brewed coffee waft out.

These aspects alone should have been more than enough to tempt any sleep-deprived passer-by. However, Titanic Bean had _one_ weakness.

It was located directly opposite a Starbucks.

To be fair, Titanic Beans had been there longer than the massive coffee chain; long enough to gather its own daily patronage of loyal customers. So when Eren came to work one day only to see the iconic Starbucks sign, not to mention some of the aforementioned 'loyal customers' instead opting to join the queue for their new business rival, he was _furious._

"What the fuck?!" Eren exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air as his face contorted into one of pure disgust.

"Eren, calm down," Mikasa resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Calm down? How about no! Not until that stupid green, two-tailed bitch gets the fuck out of my face!" Eren's tongue rolled out of his mouth in distaste, and his arms were still cutting through the air rapidly.

 _'He looks stupid,'_ Mikasa thought dryly, but responded anyways. "What green, two-tailed bitch, Eren?"

Oh, boy, did she regret even speaking.

"THAT ONE!" Eren screeched, his finger pointed accusingly towards the 'green, two-tailed bitch' in question. "She's probably looking down on us, Mikasa! That cocky coffee-slut is probably somewhere cackling us as she steals all our customers! That stupid piece of—"

"You do know the Starbucks logo doesn't actually exist, don't you?"

"Are you shitting me? Of course I—" Eren's voice trailed off, because Mikasa's lips certainly haven't moved and that voice was simply too low and husky—and sexy, he thought at the back of his mind—to be her's.

Eren quickly whipped back towards the front door, and there stood a man with a small, barely noticeable smirk.

"W—" Eren quickly schooled his face into the brightest, cheeriest expression he could manage despite the deep, raging hatred he felt for that "dumbass Starbucks bitch".

"Welcome to Titanic Beans!"

"What a warm welcome," the man drawled out, a tinge of annoyance seeping into his tone, and if it weren't for how damn sexy his voice was and how weak Eren's knees became at the sound of it, Eren probably would have allowed Mikasa to take the man's order in favour of resuming his rant on Starbucks.

"I— I do apologise, please pay no mind to what you have overheard—"

"Stupid brat, I've just heard you cussing the fuck out of some non-existent two-tailed mermaid, and you expect me to buy your fake-ass, innocent apology?" the man let out a noise that vaguely resembled a short, yet Eren could have sworn it had to be the hottest thing he had ever heard in his entire 21 years of existence on the very face of this earth.

He heard Mikasa's quiet snort of laughter, quickly turning back to glare at the girl, who responded with a small shrug.

Eren turned back to the man and started fumbling with his words, unaware of how to respond to the man, but before he could remember how to properly form a sentence that would make intellectual sense, the man sighed.

"Whatever, you dipshit, just get me a black. To-go."

"O— One black coffee coming right up!"

* * *

Shortly after, the man went ahead and took a seat right by the window, and Eren went ahead and got started on brewing the coffee.

He found his eyes drifting off to the man, and everytime his eyes landed on him he would take in his physical features. The man was short, but he definitely had a big attitude to make up for his lack of stature.

And goddamnit, was he fucking gorgeous.

His hair was jet black, and while his eyes remained sharp and pointed, and his tone seemed to emanate his constant mood of 'fuck off, peasant', he had a certain allure that drew Eren like a moth to a flame.

Mikasa slapped his shoulder, and said icily, "Isn't he a bit too short?" But the playful mirth in her eyes told Eren she was merely teasing.

"He's fucking beautiful," Eren whispered, only to earn a sharp pinch to his ear.

"Focus on the coffee, lover-boy. You can take him out on a date afterwards."

"Screw off," Eren said lamely, before he started walking towards where the man was seated, a mug of freshly-brewed coffee in his hands.

"So, you like it black, huh?" Eren said as he placed the mug on the table, before taking a seat opposite the man, who seemed almost startled, though the flash of emotion disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"Like my soul," the man said in response, almost automatically, as if—and most probably since—he had been asked that same question thousands of times before.

"I _do_ like a mysterious man," Eren wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, though he regretted it the moment the words left his mouth.

"Obviously," the man smirked, and, god, was it unfair. "You were staring so hard it was hard to notice."

Eren wanted to choke. At the loss of a smart comeback, he simply watched as the man picked up the mug.

"That's some good shit right there," the man said quietly as he brought the rim of the mug away from his lips.

"Of course!" Eren chirped happily. "We serve only the best coffee in town."

"Huh," the man's eyebrows raised at the proclamation, before his eyes darted to the Starbucks right outside the window. "Really now."

Eren felt the rage start to boil, coursing through his veins yet again.

"Oh, please, two-tailed coffee-bean-sucker can never beat _our_ coffee."

A short noise escaped the man's lips at the remark, and, judging by the look of amusement on his face, it most certainly was laughter. Eren felt a warm flush on his cheeks.

"This might be the damn best coffee I've had in a while, you brat," the man said as he took another sip.

"Can I get a name for your order?" Eren blurted impulsively.

"You're supposed to ask that before you even serve the coffee, kid," the man said with a roll of his eyes. "Besides, you served it in a mug, where the hell are you going to write my name."

"In my heart, maybe."

Wherever this sudden boost of courage came from, Eren wanted to punch himself in the mouth repeatedly.

The man eyed Eren, before smirking.

"Wall Maria."

Eren's mouth widened into an 'o'. _'The fuck? Has my hearing deteriorated?'_ He decided to ask, for good measure. "Pardon?"

"Wall Maria," the man repeated, his voice still and calm. "My name's Wall Maria. You got a problem, brat?"

Now, what the fuck do you do when someone introduced themselves with a dumb-sounding name like "Wall Maria"? Eren has no clue.

"Wall Maria," he echoed. "Is that a nickname or what? Do I call you Wall, or Maria?"

"Either one's fine, kid," the man said, taking a quick glance to the watch on his right wrist.

"As great as the coffee is, I did ask for a to-go, kid," the man said, and Eren's eyes immediately widened in realisation. "I gotta get to work soon, that long ass queue isn't disappearing anytime soon."

"Oh, shit, my bad, I totally forgot about—" Eren's voice trailed off as the words registered in his brain.

"You fucking work for Starbucks?!"

"You must be a real dumbass if you thought green aprons were an everyday thing to wear, kid," The man snorted. "Did your parents drop you down the stairs when you were a child or what?"

Only then did Eren notice the green apron, and printed right on the front, was the very same two-tailed bitch he despised.

Eren was dumbfounded. How had he not noticed?

"Right?" Mikasa said from behind the cashier. "No idea how you missed it either, but you looked like a teenage girl meeting her highschool sweetheart and I didn't want to break that moment for you. Figured that working in Starbucks would be a major turn-off."

Eren glared at her.

"But, seriously," the corner of the man's lip rose into yet another smirk, and Eren was certain he had to take health precautions for the sake of his endangered lifespan. "What kind of a fucking name is Titanic Beans?"

"You're one to speak," Eren retorted. "Wall Maria."

The man rolled his eyes, and stood up abruptly. "Well, I'll be off now. How much was the coffee?"

"Did you just finish that piping hot coffee in less than 10 minutes?" 

"You're weak if you can't finish it under 7, you brat."

Eren rolled his eyes, but said, "On the house."

There was a squawk of disagreement from Mikasa.

"If you say so," the man shrugged.

As the man turned to leave, Eren called out, "Catch you later, Wall Maria!"


	2. this barista's bustin' down wall maria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lifeupdate: your girl is still in denial, panic, pain and worry! i have a love hate relationship w school haha

"You're obviously in denial."

"I am not," Eren huffed gruffly for the umpteenth time.

"That's convincing, considering how you were all puppy-dog eyes with him," Mikasa sighed at the defiant male. "Besides, maybe it's about time you got some ass, you miserable single pringle."

"You're one to talk. Out of all of us, only Armin gets ass."

"But wouldn't he technically be giving ass to Erwin?"

"Fucking hell, let's not discuss that cinnamon roll's sex life with bushy-brows in detail." This statement was accompanied by fake gagging noises.

"'Bushy-brows' might just be better in bed than your 'Wall Maria'."

"Pffft, oh, please," Eren said with a wave of his hands, shaking his head. "Bushy-brows is such an old man, his hipbones probably creak louder than the legs of their bed against the floor when they're doing the do. And with a dirty mouth like Wall Maria's, I'd let him dirty talk the fuck out of me."

_'Oh. Oh, no.'_   Eren grimaced at the smirk on Mikasa's face.  _'I should have seen past her stupid ploy!'_

"Well, whatever," Eren said quickly before Mikasa could comment on his slip-up. "It's close to closing time, and I highly doubt we'll be getting any other customers. They're all being seduced by two-tailed bitch's hoe ass."

* * *

"Oh, sweet Jesus, I am in denial."

That day, Eren went back home with a fuzzy mind and mixed feelings welling in the depths of his poor, weak heart. Not only had business been horrible—no thanks to the newly-opened Starbucks—but he found himself wholly enthralled by the mysterious man who left him with a silly name.

_'Honestly,'_  Eren had thought as he considered the likelihood of 'Wall Maria' as a legitimate, genuine name.  _'I'm not much of a judgemental person, but I'd shit myself if that was actually his name.'_

Eren wanted to pass the irritable, fluttery frenzy in his stomach off as some sort of a weird, stubborn bellyache, though he found himself thinking about the handsome, albeit petite, male more often than not. Still, much like a petulant high-schooler, Eren was repulsed by the thought of having a juvenile crush on someone he had met just hours ago.

Call him a weak man, but, damn, was he whipped.

In all honesty, Eren had expected his encounter with 'Wall Maria' to be his — as well as his last. Still, he came to work the next day with a hopeful heart, though he remained stubborn about refusing to acknowledge the built-up anticipation at the thought of seeing the man again.

When he stepped into Titanic Beans the next day, Eren was pleasantly surprised to see that his wishes had been met. Like the previous day, 'Wall Maria' was Titanic Beans' first customer, and Eren had been reverted to the pathetic state of "puppy-dog eyes".

For some reason, 'Wall Maria' didn't have his apron on. Not that Eren was complaining; he was wearing a tight, black shirt that seemed a bit too small for his shoulders, and hugged his biceps deliciously. Eren had always known that he was some variety of gay, but, damn, he hadn't known that a man's ass could look that great in black leather jeans.

However, he couldn't help but notice that 'Wall Maria' seemed a bit off.

The moment he entered the front door, he wordlessly took the same seat by the window. No smart remark, like the previous day. Eren saw nothing of his behaviour—not every customer has to walk in and start immediate banter—but saw how his face was etched in a frown, his brows pinched tightly together and the corners of his lips pulled in a noticeable downward tug.

Mikasa nudged Eren gently with her elbow, and with a flick of her head gestured to the male. "What's got his panties in a twist?"

Eren stared at the male for a while longer, before he shrugged silently. Then, he got to doing what he knows best.

Making a good cup of coffee.

* * *

 To be truthfully frank, Levi had never considered being a barista at Starbucks in all his years of existence. Well, until his ex-boyfriend casually extended the invitation to him.

One fine day, he thought it would have been a wonderful idea to show up on Levi's doorstep, seemingly laid-back and easy-going, and randomly told him he was going to be the manager of a new Starbucks branch opening in about two months time.

This sudden, unceremonious announcement was soon followed by:

_"Would you like to be a barista there?"_

At first, he was outraged by the casualty of everything. After all the years of desperately trying to get over the man who had broken his heart—and failing to do so, how had he managed to reach out to him in such an offhanded manner?

Deep down, Levi already knew the answer. It was simple: he had moved on, possibly even found someone new. Someone better than himself. Someone who truly deserved him.

Although he had already resigned himself to never having the chance to receive the same love and affection he was once showered in from the man he once—and still—loved, it still hurt him.

Still, his true emotions betrayed all he had put into getting over this man, and he accepted the job offer.

On his first day of work, he was overwhelmed by the sheer number of customers. He, along with 'shitty four-eyes', was occupied by the seemingly never-ending queue of customers. Eventually, everything got so overwhelming that he resorted to visiting the neighbouring coffee shop for his daily dosage of caffeine. Not to mention that the barista, brunette, bright-eyed, and flirtatious, was undeniably handsome, and the coffee was fan-fucking-tastic.

Even with how busy he was with all the orders, Levi was still giddy at the foolish thought of reconciling with his ex. He wouldn't lie and say that the thought had never crossed his mind. He did know, however, that it was absurd for him to be thinking that way.

It was even more so lunatic for him to have been the slightest bit surprised when it all came crashing down on him on the second day.

He had heard a faint, continuous buzzing noise behind him, and turned around to see his manager's phone, lying next to the coffee machine on the countertop. He felt his curiosity get the better of him, and he found himself looking over at the phone screen. 

> _''Armin ❤' is calling...'_

Levi felt crushed.

_'By a single heart emoji?'_   He wanted to chuckle bitterly.  _'I'm pathetic.'_

"Levi, Hanji," the manager called. "Have you seen my phone anywhere?"

"Right here."

Levi schooled his face into an expression of nonchalance and, feigning a look of pure boredom, he simply picked up the ringing device and handed it over.

The manager murmured a quick "thanks" as he took the phone. His eyes widened when he took notice of the caller ID. Then, looking Levi dead in the eye, he answered the call.

"Yes, Armin."

The call, which lasted less than a minute, only consisted of yesses and nos from the manager. Nothing to prove that the manager had any special relationship with the caller.

Still, Levi wanted to know.  
  
"Hey, you two! I can't take these orders all by myself!" Hanji cried out.

"Erwin," he said quietly, breaking eye contact as he pretended to busy himself with the orders.

"Yes?"

"Are you seeing someone?"

The irony of it all was sickening, he thought. Five years ago, he asked the very same question, and all he had received from Erwin was a simple nod. He remembers that day vividly; clear as dawn. And now, apart from standing in a goddamn Starbucks instead of his own apartment, nothing has changed, really.

What made it worse was that Levi didn't know if Erwin was still with the male he had cheated on him with.

Just like that, all his insecurities had reemerged from the back of his mind to haunt him, taunting him for his weakness, his inferiority, his worthlessness. Levi felt sick.

He wanted to get out of this goddamn Starbucks—so he did exactly that.

He took off his apron, roughly shoving the clothing into Erwin's chest. As he walked out through the front door, he heard footsteps behind him, and the faint call of his name. He heard Erwin telling him to "get back here".

He looked up, and he found himself questioning what kind of a preposterous name "Titanic Beans" was for a coffee shop.

_'Fucking hell,'_  he thought to himself as he entered.  _'I'm going to need a fuckton of coffee.'_

* * *

_'Don't piss him off too much. Don't worry, I'll murder him, then tell the police the two of you died from intense, smothering sexual tension.'_  Mikasa had told him. Eren, too, found that it was a personal preference of his to be able to at least live past the age of 21.

Eren flinched as he set the mug gently on the ground. He could practically feel how the man's sharp gaze flickered towards him. Taking a seat opposite the visibly pissed-off male, Eren had to bite his tongue to physically refrain himself from making a snarky comment.

"One black coffee," Eren said quietly, in the steadiest voice he could muster. He could probably cut the tension in the air with a butter knife.

_'And it isn't even sexual.'_ He glared at Mikasa, who seemed slightly confused but shrugged.

After what felt like 50 eternities, 'Wall Maria' picked up the mug and took a small sip. His eyes fluttered closed and his shoulders visibly relaxed, the tension leaving his body. Eren watched as the wrinkles formed between his furrowed brows smoothened out. His lips left the mug in a quiet sigh.

When his eyes opened again, they met Eren's gaze. This time, there was no anger or irritation in his expression; a certain tranquillity seemed to have soothed the male into calmness.

Eren felt unease seep through him as the male peered into his eyes unblinkingly. Despite the gravity of the situation, his mind drifted to when Jean was going on and on about some 'super hot girl' "eye-fucking" him.

_'I'm pretty sure this isn't it, is it? There's no sexual tension whatsoever!'_

"What the fuck, kid," the male snorted. "This isn't the eye-sex you saw in some porno, you horny-ass teen. Ever heard of maintaining eye contact?"

_'Oh, what the fuck.'_

"Sorry, what did I just say?" Eren wanted to choke, and he wasn't even into that kinda shit. "Actually, nevermind, just ignore what I said."

_'Hey, at least something came out of my suffering,'_ Eren thought to himself as he saw the smirk on the male's face.

"I guess drinking that espresso really drowned your depresso, huh," Eren blurted out before he could stop himself.

'Wall Maria' stared at him with a weird look in his eyes, before he started chuckling lowly.

"Well, I _did_ say I like my coffee as black as my soul," he said jokingly, before taking another sip of the coffee.

Eren felt his confidence level increasing tenfold. "Wanna talk about it?"

The male stopped smirking and looked at him for a moment longer. Eren was about to apologise, thinking that he had dug too deep, and retract the question, before the corners of his lips twitched upward in the slightest small.

"What are you a therapist?" The male snorted. When he saw that Eren was serious, he said,

"Why the hell not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aloha armin sweetie!!!  
> i didn't mean to put 'Wall Maria' (smh lmao sorry) in pain bUt i did it anyways!! im sorry??? eh,, i cant tell which is floppier, my grades or this haha
> 
> took me 5 million drafts and im not sure if i like how this came out, but here's the second chapter yay!! originally, this was supposed to be short and sweet with just two chapters, but i overcomplicated the plot just a teensy weensy bit, so here we are!!
> 
> thank you to the minor population of the world who actually takes the time to read this loada bs haha <3
> 
> have a lovely gay  
> ^i just realised what i typed and i am NOT going to change it.
> 
> p.s this just might be a bigger flop than jaclyn cosmetics  
> p.p.s sorry bad joke. props to her for giving the refunds!! (i cant give you your time back im sOrry dont waste your precious lives on me)  
> p.p.p.s i hope the beauty community doesnt come for me


	3. therapy is in session!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yayay ironically, counselling never seems to do anything for me. it's probably because it's different from actual therapy, but eh! :) enjoy!!

"Wait, wait," Eren said abruptly as he shot up from his seat. "I wasn't prepared to offer a therapy session this fine morning, and if I don't get coffee flowing in my veins, I just might lose my mind. Mikasa, get me an iced coffee!"

"That'll be $3.20."

"It's _my_ store!"

The man watched the two bicker in patient silence, though he resisted the urge to crack a smile at how close the young baristas were. _'I wonder what's their relationship?'_

It wasn't until the female barista placed the cup of iced coffee on the table that Eren yelled out, "Therapy's in session!" This exclamation was accentuated by sharp claps of his hands between each word. Thank god the shop was empty.

"I don't need a fucking therapist, you noisy brat."

"That's what they all say!" Eren chirped, before he pulled out a metal straw from his apron pocket and plopped it into his cup. "Besides, you might feel better after spilling your guts— oh, but only spill what you're comfortable with, though."

"Fine," the man sighed a few moments later, rubbing his temples fervently with his fingertips, as if he was contemplating his life decisions that eventually led up to this point: sitting in a coffee shop and telling his life story to an all-too-eager-to-be-a-therapist barista.

Eren doesn't blame him.

"So, what's your name?" Eren said after taking a sip of his coffee. He then proceeded to remove the straw, still dripping with coffee, and pretended to take down notes on a piece of napkin. "Because I highly doubt your birth certificate says 'Wall Maria'."

The man glared at him as if his very existence on the face of the earth was a sin in itself. Then, he said quietly, "Levi."

_'See—knew it wasn't Wall Maria!'_

"Age?"

"Five minutes into this therapy session and I'm not feeling any better. I'm questioning your ability as a therapist," the man, Levi, said. "29."

"Good morning to you, Levi," Eren extended a hand. "Name's Eren. So, what's up?"

Levi took a deep breath. He sure as fuck didn't know how to go about this whole 'spilling his guts' thing. Then, he broke eye contact with Eren to look at his own cup of black coffee.

Levi knew a long time ago that he'd need an IV bag of coffee to supply his body with the copious amount of caffeine it required, but god, had he ever felt _this_ grateful for caffeine.

He brought the cup to his lips, and gulped down the entire thing. The familiarity of the hot, burning sensation at the back of his throat granted him the ability to finish it in seconds.

Levi looked up again, only to see that Eren's teal eyes, still gleaming as bright as ever, were still gazing at him, full of patience.

_'Not bad. At least the brat knows when to shut up.'_

Then, he started to speak.

Levi told him everything, from when they met and how it escalated from a friendship to something more. How he started to fall for the man, and how he was too blind to notice all the signs. How the man cheated behind his back, and how they eventually split up.

"So, you're telling me this bastard's right opposite us, and I can't just go over and slaughter him on the spot?" Eren said after Levi was done speaking.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you, you dipshit."

"Why the fuck not!" Eren groaned, slamming his fist on the table. "He's a complete dickhead for doing that to you. He's, like, a top-notch dick. A certified dick. Probably has a master's degree in, like, 'The Arts of Being a Dick'."

"Sure, kid," Levi snorted. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"But—"

"Leave it alone, kid."

Eren kept quiet at the tone of finality in his voice. Then, he started to question the burning pit of anger forming in his stomach, and the fiery rage that clouded his mind. Why was he suddenly so protective over Levi? A man he had met days ago, and yet he wanted nothing more than to ensure that he'd never have to go through what he had already experienced ever again.

Eren sighed, once again conflicted and confused about his feelings. _'Just like a high-school girl.'_

"Alright, got it," he said reluctantly.

Eventually, Eren had to go back to serving customers; although the shop was far from crowded, he was still determined to deliver the same, great quality coffee to however many, or little, customers there were.

For the rest of the afternoon, Levi stayed at Titanic Beans. Halfway through, he shifted to a seat closer to where Eren was brewing the coffee.

When Eren questioned him, Levi jokingly responded with, "I'm scoping out my business rival."

Levi stayed there right until it was closing time, all the while silently inspecting Eren with observant eyes. He observed the passion with which he prepared the coffee beans and brewed the coffee, the fondness in his eyes as he bantered with the female barista, the enthusiasm and friendliness he regarded the customers with.

During small breaks, Eren would sit down next to Levi, and they would chat about anything right until the next customer came in.

Even when business was over and it was time for clean-up, when Eren had convinced Mikasa that he was more than capable of cleaning up and closing the shop by himself, Levi was still there, watching him.

The shop was peaceful, and quiet; no banter, no chattering customers. It was just Levi and Eren.

"But doesn't it kinda suck to still have to work there everyday?" Eren eventually broke spoke that silence. "His your manager, after all."

"It sucks big time," Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "However, I am bound to this job with a short term contract. I'll have to bear with it for three months before I can actually quit."

Eren thought about it for a moment, then he blurted, "When you're done with that job, come work here."

"Hah?"

"When you're done with that job, come work here," Eren repeated himself, even though he knew Levi already heard him, loud and clear. "You don't have to put yourself through the same torture. Do you honestly think you can fully get over him if you're seeing him everyday? And what if he brings his side-chick to work one day? Can you really manage it?"

The words were harsh, but truthful, and the truth stung Levi. He knew, however, that Eren's intention was not to hurt him.

Levi considered the idea of working here, at Titanic Beans. Staying by Eren's side, brewing the same, delicious coffee he had enjoyed so, so much, and serving that same coffee to others. Watching Eren bicker with that other female barista, with half-hearted insults and empty threats.

Most importantly, getting to know more about Eren— his passion for coffee, his personality.

It didn't sound bad at all. Levi smiled.

"Sure, kid."

Eren looked shocked. For Levi to be that accepting of such an idea that had been proposed so impulsively was completely unforeseen. Levi shrugged. He didn't expect to react this way himself.

"I'm not promising anything," Levi warned. He wasn't going to make his decision right there and then. He needed time to consider. He noticed the slightly crestfallen expression on Eren's face, then spoke again. "However, the prospect of working here does intrigue me. I'll consider it."

Levi watched Eren's face lit up like a kid at a candy shop as his spirit visibly lifted. With a

 _'The brat's actually kind of cute,'_ Levi thought.

He felt his cheeks redden, and what exactly was that feeling in his stomach? Whatever it was, Levi wasn't too fond of it.

"Levi? Are you alright? Your face is kinda red."

Levi huffed. He'll ignore that feeling for now, he supposes.

"Just peachy, kid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohoho,, what is levi feeling hmmm¿? whAt coULd iT bE,, iM nOt sUrE ;)
> 
> hey hey hey is there anything different with this chapter or is it just me? this chapter was written in a coffee shop so it may or may not be the coffee shop atmosphere. either way, i felt really inspired for this chapter and i found myself writing more than usual? or at least it seemed that way! :)
> 
> this story is STILL a trainwreck wow,,  
> a trainSHREK ™ oh god im drunk
> 
> also i hope no one minds me making levi a teensy bit younger!! just felt like reducing the age gap a lil bit :) not that i have a problem with age gaps tho! you love who you love
> 
> p.s i relate to levi's reliance on coffee because YES GIMME THAT CAFFEINE BABY  
> p.p.s this iced coffee is THE SHIT  
> p.p.p.s my phone's dying and i don't have a portable charger aaa  
> p.p.p.p.s is anyone even reading this anymore

**Author's Note:**

> i honestly dont know what im doing anymore sksjjs i just wanted to get this sudden urge of writing ereri out of my system. there will be a part two! coming out whenever i get to writing that. oh gosh im sorry this was so impulsive and im very sure it will be a flop anyways.
> 
> have a great day :)
> 
> edit: are people actually reading this shit? what. im so confused but thankful for all the reads and kudos, even if it may seem small to others im still so so grateful. some of y'all may be lil bit shy to comment, but hey i dont bite! :) im always looking for new amigos, yknow? you can talk about anything down there, yea? <3 love y'all


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